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Jordan Henderson
Jordan Brian Henderson (born 17 June 1990) is an English international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool. He was signed from Sunderland as a 20-year-old for an eye-catching fee in the region of £16,000,000 on 9 June 2011. His Anfield career began slowly- he was often deployed on the right flank by Kenny Dalglish and he was frequently criticised for being 'anonymous' in matches. He struggled to maintain his place in Liverpool's midfield pecking order, and in the summer of 2012, was reportedly even offered to Fulham in exchange for forward Clint Dempsey by Brendan Rodgers when the Northern Irishman replaced Dalglish. Soon however Henderson fought his way back up the pecking order, and he became an increasingly-important member of Liverpool's central midfield. Consistently praised for his attitude in training and incredible work ethic, Henderson's effort and stamina on the pitch saw him become a fan favourite. Under the guidance of Rodgers, Henderson's technical and tactical ability began to develop rapidly while he also developed more on a personal level, becoming demonstrably more authoratative and commanding on the field of play. By the start of the 2014-15 season, he was widely considered one of the most important members of the Liverpool squad and crucial to the success of the style of football Rodgers wished his team to play. After the departure of Daniel Agger, the vice captaincy position opened up and Henderson was a popular choice to fill the role. The club confirmed Henderson as Liverpool vice captain on 15 September 2014. Liverpool career Henderson signed for Liverpool from Sunderland on 9 June 2011 for a fee in the region of £16,000,000. After joining Liverpool Henderson said "I'm over the moon, overjoyed to be here and I'm really looking forward to it." On 8 July 2011 Henderson was handed the number 14 jersey, previously worn by Milan Jovanovic and Xabi Alonso. Henderson made his debut for Liverpool in a friendly on 23 July 2011 in a 0-3 defeat against Hull. His competitive debut came on 13 August 2011 against his former club Sunderland, where Liverpool achieved a 1-1 draw. He scored his first Liverpool goal against Bolton on 27 August 2011 with a curling left foot shot into the top corner of the net. Henderson started each of Liverpool's first eight competitive games of the 2011-12 season- often featuring as a right-sided midfielder, however he lost his place with the return to fitness of Steven Gerrard, but still appeared frequently as a substitute. He gave a particularly impressive cameo appearance against Manchester United at Anfield on 15 October 2011, as he twice almost won the match for Liverpool. He first forced a fine diving save from United 'keeper David De Gea after firing a neat lob, then headed narrowly over in the dying minutes of the match which finished 1-1. Henderson regained his place in the starting XI during the winter as Gerrard was ruled out with an ankle infection and Lucas Leiva sustained a serious knee injury. His performances garnered praise from manager Kenny Dalglish and other pundits as he began to grow into his central midfield role with some competent and mature displays. In the new year however, Liverpool's League form took a substantial turn for the worse, which would go on to last for the duration of the season. Henderson, along with a number of other Liverpool players, came in for criticism during this time and was often spoken about as being 'anonymous' in matches, however he maintained a place in the starting XI for the vast majority of the team's matches- including both the 2012 League Cup Final and the 2012 FA Cup Final. He netted his second Liverpool goal on 8 May 2012 in a home League game against Chelsea, finding himself one-on-one with their 'keeper and cooly slotting low into the net. Henderson finished the season having made more competitive appearances than any other Liverpool player, with 48. In the 2012-13 season however, new manager Brendan Rodgers bolstered his midfield options with the additions of Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin and, with the return of Lucas Leiva, Henderson began the season lower down the Liverpool pecking order. On 30 August 2012, it was reported that Liverpool had attempted to transfer Henderson to Fulham with the aim of recruiting Clint Dempsey in a swap deal, however Henderson refused the move. Despite his willingness to move Henderson on in the summer, Rodgers spoke of how impressed he had been with the youngster since taking the helm at Anfield. On 17 November 2012, with Liverpool playing Wigan at home, midway through the first half with the score at 0-0 and Liverpool struggling to break down a stubborn Wigan side, Rodgers substituted Suso for Henderson and Liverpool went on to win the match 3-0. Many applauded the impact of Henderson and his role in helping improve Liverpool's forward play during the match to help claim the three points. Henderson made his first League start of the season on 25 November 2012 in an away 0-0 draw with Swansea. On 6 December 2012, Henderson scored his first goal of the season, hitting the winner in Liverpool's Europa League tie away to Udinese. The goal sealed Liverpool's place in the knockout stage of the competition. He netted again on 19 January 2013, scoring Liverpool's first goal in a 5-0 win against Norwich with an impressive half-volley from the edge of the area. He followed this up with a strike in the next League game, away to Arsenal on 30 January 2013. With Liverpool 1-0 up, Henderson broke in the Arsenal box, battling a host of Gunners defenders to fire a shot that was blocked, before slotting in the rebound. The game however finished all square at 2-2. Despite his good form, the January acquisitions of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho prompted Brendan Rodgers to experiment with a four-man forward line, with Gerrard and Lucas preferred in a two-man midfield. On 31 March 2013, Henderson returned to the starting line-up and scored the equalising goal in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, latching on to a Philippe Coutinho through-ball and finishing with a chip over the keeper. Henderson produced an all-round good display, and this prompted calls from the fans for Rodgers to not drop Henderson from the starting XI again. Henderson did retain his place in the team for the coming games and, on 27 April 2013, netted twice in an away 6-0 victory over Newcastle. His first goal put Liverpool 2-0 up, slotting into an open goal after a swift counter attacking move saw Daniel Sturridge play in the former Sunderland man. He then scored Liverpool's sixth goal with a free kick from the left flank, which evaded everybody to nestle in the far corner. Henderson also provided an assist in the match, playing in Sturridge to score Liverpool's fourth. On 27 August 2013, Henderson netted his first goal of the 2013-14 season, nutmegging the defender and bending it round the keeper to score Liverpool's fourth in a 4-2 win over Notts County. On 29 September 2013, Henderson made his 100th appearance for the club, starting in a 3-1 victory over former club Sunderland. On 15 December 2013, Henderson scored his first league goal of the season, volleying in an attempt from Luis Suarez in an away tie against Tottenham Hotspur. His performance in the match was lauded, and he claimed the man of the match award in the team's 5-0 away win. He produced another impressive performance in Liverpool's next game- a 3-1 home win against Cardiff, as he added two assists to his name, both for Luis Suarez. On 23 February 2014, Henderson scored twice in a 4-3 win over Swansea. His first was a fine strike from the edge of the box and his second was a tap in after his own shot had been saved. Henderson next netted on 30 March 2014, hitting the fourth in Liverpool's 4-0 home win over Tottenham. He took a free kick from the left flank that evaded everyone to nestle in the far corner of the net. On 13 April 2014, Henderson was shown a straight red card in injury time in Liverpool's 3-2 home win over Man City. With Liverpool closing out what could prove to be a significant victory in the chase for the Premier League title, Henderson lunged in on Samir Nasri while chasing a loose ball and received a three-match ban. Henderson returned for the end-of-season clash at home to Newcastle, however by then, Liverpool had already ceded control of the title race to Man City. Despite a 2-1 win, Liverpool finished in second place in the Premier League. On 17 August 2014, in Liverpool's opening game of the 2014-15 season, Henderson produced an assist for Raheem Sterling to put Liverpool 1-0 ahead against Southampton, in a match they ultimately won 2-1. After dispossessing Saints forward Dusan Tadic and battling past midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, Henderson lofted an inch-perfect, defence-splitting pass to put Sterling through on goal. On 31 August 2014- Liverpool's third game of the season, away to Tottenham Hotspur- Henderson again assisted Sterling for the opening goal as he slid the ball across the box for the young forward as the Reds went on to win 3-0. On 15 September 2014, Henderson was confirmed as the club's new vice captain, following the departure of Daniel Agger. Brendan Rodgers enthused that Henderson "is someone who represents the best values of what we are all about, as a team and as a club... It's another great story for Jordan in his journey as a Liverpool player and it shows the great progress he has made." Liverpool fans welcomed the news warmly. The accolade was seen to complete Henderson's journey from a player who had initially struggled to make an impression on the Liverpool team, and one who was reportedly deemed surplus to requirements by Brendan Rodgers when the Northern Irishman first took the helm, to one who had become one of the most important members of the Liverpool squad, and one of the very first names on the teamsheet. Indeed, he had been seen to have developed much greater authority and on-pitch leadership skills as his Anfield career progressed and so his appointment to vice captain by the club was widely heralded as the correct decision. Honours Liverpool *League Cup: 1 (2012) Stats External links * *Jordan Henderson's profile on liverpoolfc.com * Henderson Henderson